Acrylic petroleum-derived monomers such as alkyl (meth)acrylates have been staples in polymerization processes in various industries for decades. Unfortunately, variations in the oil market can cause great price fluctuations in these monomers, and consistently low cost alternatives are being sought. The shale gas boom has provided promising alternatives such as vinyl ester and vinyl amide monomers. However, these monomers are not without their drawbacks. Low boiling points make them difficult to handle under ambient conditions, and hence their use as monomers in polymerization processes is difficult due to their volatility.
It would be desirable to provide an acrylic copolymer using these readily available and inexpensive monomers, for use in the preparation of curable coatings and other compositions.